A New Hero
by drey'auc475
Summary: A new face is seen on the Andromeda as trouble brews in Neitchzean territory... WIP, set after Seefra.
1. Prolouge

**Title:** Crossing Over

**Author:** Drey'auc475

**Rating:** PG for now

**Spoilers:** none this chapter

**Setting/Season:** this chapter set in AU

**A/N:** this is the beginning of a story that I hope you'll like. Please tell me what you think. Enjoy…

-----Prologue-----

Freya stood and gazed at the destruction around her, silent tears streaming down her cheeks leaving trails on her dirt-stained face.

The battle field was littered with debris; trees that once stood, rocks, shells from bullets, and weapons that were similar to the one that Alli wore at her thigh.

Then there were the bodies. Hundreds of them scattered all around her. They were her friends, her family, the ones she led, and the ones she failed. They were her charge. She was to lead them into battle and to victory.

How ironic it sounded to her, at 21 years old and leading a group of people barely older than herself into battle.

Her eyes were drawn to the face that had brought her to this place. The one she had sought out after the battle.

It was young and peaceful like its owner was only sleeping. But Freya knew better.

She ignored the bullet wounds in his chest and the blood that stained his uniform and squatted down next to her friend, the man who knew her best. Her love.

She stared into his face and leant forward and kissed his forehead.

'Goodbye, Charlie,' she whispered to him. 'I'm sorry.'

Freya rose from the ground and struggled not to cry. But the tears came ten fold.

Freya spun around in anguish and screamed her pain to the wind, making several birds of prey that had arrived at the smoking battle field, take to the sky.

She sank to her knees and sobbed uncontrollably.

As she cried out all her sorrow and loss, scenes of the battle played in her head.

She cried and cried.

Finally, her tears dried up, and her sobs subsided, but the pain remained, like a smoldering ember imbedded in her chest.

Suddenly, a stick snapped behind her, starling her out of her sorrows. She tensed and her hand shot to the hand gun at her thigh and she spun around on her heels in the direction of the sound.

A young woman stood there, a bit older than Freya. She had golden coloured skin, red-brown hair and green eyes, not to mention pointy ears like an elf. She was dressed in tight leather and had what Freya imagined was a weapon strapped to her thigh.

Freya looked at her suspiciously; she didn't know who (or what) she was but was weary of her in case she was an enemy.

The woman raised her hands to show she meant no harm.

Then she spoke. She had a kind, soft voice that in its own way comforted Alli.

'Do not be afraid, Freya. I'm a friend and I promise I won't hurt you.'

'How do you know my name? And who are you?' Freya asked whipping the tears from her face and standing up, lowering her weapon.

'My name is Trance and I know a lot about you. I'm here to help. Although your world has been destroyed and your friends and family have died for a cause that was right, your life is not over. Come with me and I can help you get it all back.'

'Where would I go?' Freya asked.

'To another universe, one where the technology is very advanced. My universe. You will have friends, people who will love you. Evil is spreading in my universe, and we need your help to win this battle.'

'What?' Freya asked confused.

Trance smiled. 'I'm sure you're feeling pretty overwhelmed and confused about this all. I'm sure you're also wondering how you'll get there from this universe. But I have the power to transfer you from one universe to another. Are you willing?'

Freya looked at her. There was something about her that she liked. Something she trusted. There was also something that made Freya feel like she knew this mysterious girl.

And under that she could feel that Trance was much older that she looked.

Freya looked around her and then looked down at the face of Charlie. She knelt down again and pulled out a pendant from under her shirt. She reached into Charlie's shirt and pulled out a similar pendant. They were pieces of bone that they bought together one day. Each had a carving on them in black ink. They meant friendship.

Freya removed Charlie's from his neck and looped it over her head. The two bone pendants clicked as they tapped each other.

Freya stood again and turned to Trance.

She took a deep breath and said:

'I'm ready. Take me to this other universe of yours.'

Trance nodded. 'When you get to this other universe you will have no memory of me or of the life had previous to this event' – she gestured around her at the carnage at Freya's feet – 'Unfortunately, I cannot remove these memories because they are buried too deep in your sub-conscious, but the memories you will have will correspond to that universe. Are you ready?'

Freya nodded and placed her hand on the pendants around her neck.

'I'm ready.'

'Close your eyes – this may be slightly uncomfortable.'

Freya obliged. Nothing happened for a while, then there was an incredibly bright light and an intense heat and then there was nothing.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 1

**Title: **Crossing Over

**Author:** Drey'auc475

**Rating: **PG for now

**Spoilers:** none for this chapter

**Setting/Season:** season five

**A/N:** here's the next chapter… enjoy.

-----Chapter One-----

Freya woke in her bunk aboard the _Hellbird VI _with a start. She sat up and slowly threw the blankets off. She swung her legs over the side of the bunk and rubbed her eyes.

'What a dream,' she muttered to herself as she got up off the bunk and went to the basin and washed her face.

She struggled to remember the dream she had had. It was foggy and details were becoming hazy. The dream was slipping away like water through a strainer.

Finally giving up she towelled her face dry and got changed. She pulled on a pair of suede jeans, followed by a black tank top, which hugged her figure, and a black leather vest with heaps of zips and buckles. She then pulled on her commando boots and strapped her pistol holster around her waist and buckled it around her thigh.

She left her short black hair un-brushed and headed out towards the kitchen. Grabbing an instant meal from the microwave she headed for the cockpit where Birdie was running diagnostics.

'Good morning, captain,' Birdie said to Freya as she sat in the pilot's seat. Birdie only ever called her 'captain' for fun.

'Morning,' Freya replied draining the juice and placing the can on a control panel. 'Are we ready for another day?'

'_Affirmative_,' said the _Hellbird_ A.I.

Birdie was an android, an avatar of the _Hellbird_. Though the _Hellbird VI_ was a small cargo barge it was still a little too much for Freya to handle by herself. She didn't have enough money to hire a hand, but saved up enough money to have a man build an android to help her out. 'Hellbird' just didn't sound right for a female avatar so Freya called her 'Birdie'.

Birdie was fashioned after a friend from Freya's past back on Shantu. Birdie had blond and red hair, fair skin and pale blue eyes. She wore clothes similar to Freya's but without the gun.

Birdie sat in the co-pilot's seat and punched buttons to prepare for launch.

Freya strapped herself in and pulled the seat up to the controls and engaged the engines. The ship moved forwards and Freya manoeuvred it around the asteroid they had taken shelter behind from the blue giant in the system.

'Heading to the nearest slip-point,' Birdie reported. 'Engines are fuelled and Life Support and the A.G. Field are in perfect condition.'

'OK. I'm gonna go check the cargo,' Freya said and unbuckled herself. 'I'll be back in a tick.'

Freya was a cargo runner in the Andromeda Galaxy. She was well respected and had a good reputation. She was reliable and had never missed a delivery. At the moment they were hauling copper-ore to Sinti and some new computer parts to the Hakintow Drift.

After Freya had made sure that everything was accounted for, she headed back to the cockpit, jumped back in the pilot seat, just as they reached the slip-point.

'Transiting to Slipstream,' Freya reported as the ship lurched forward as they entered Slipstream. Freya piloted the ship with ease, well used to this route. They passed three systems in several minutes and finally arrived at Sinti.

After delivering the cargo, several hours later they took off towards a Dry Dock, in orbit around Sinti. They re-fuelled and restocked on supplies.

Freya and Birdie joked around back on the _Hellbird_ as Freya ate her lunch.

If either of them had known that this was to be the last time they would ever be like this again, Freya would have thanked her for everything.


	3. Chapter 2

**Title:** Crossing Over

**Author:** Drey'auc475

**Rating:** PG for now

**Spoilers:** none for this chapter

**Setting/Season:** season five

**A/N:** here's the next chapter… enjoy.

-----Chapter Two-----

Freya entered Slipstream again as they headed out from the Sinti system.

As Freya piloted the stings of Slipstream, a warning light appeared over her head. Warning alarms sounded all over the small ship.

Birdie frowned as she tapped several buttons.

'The exotic matter lens of the Slipstream drive is failing,' she reported. 'We have to drop out now!'

'OK, OK, I'm going,' Freya said as she dropped out of Slipstream with a lurch. 'Damn cheap lens,' she swore under her breath. 'Remind me NEVER to go back to that lying bastard again.'

'Sure, no problem,' Birdie agreed as she headed to the door of the engine room to check the lens.

'Now,' Freya said as she jumped up and went to Birdie's station. 'Where are we?'

She tapped a few keys and consulted the radar.

The Reetu System. She had never been here before and didn't know what was here. But without another lens, they were stuck here.

Suddenly three ships came out of Slipstream just over their heads. Freya was about to activate the com, when the _Hellbird _A.I. identified them as Neitchzean Battle Cruisers. Instead of activating the com, she turned off all the power.

There was a crash from the engine room and Birdie opened the door with her lantern lit.

'The lens is shot and we'll–'

Freya held up her hand to silence her. She gave her a questioning look, but Freya just pointed out the view port at the massive ships above them. Birdie's eyes widened in recognition. They had run into Neitchzeans before and they were not pleasant.

Birdie moved closer to Freya and said to her in a low voice:

'Should I power up the engines?'

Freya shook her head. 'No,' she replied. 'These guys are Drago-Kazov – we should see what they're up to.'

Birdie looked as though see didn't agree, but went along with it.

She took up her station in the co-pilot's seat as Freya went back to the pilot's seat.

The Neitchzean ships moved into formation around the sun in the centre of the system, where Freya had dropped the _Hellbird_.

There were three ships in total, though of no design that Freya had ever seen. They had several cannons on the front and Freya was most intrigued to see what they did.

Though a few minutes later she wished she hadn't.

'Go set up the spare matter lens, in case we need to make a quick get-away,' she said to Birdie.

'Aye,' Birdie replied.

Freya watched the ships move into a triangle formation – two on top, one on the bottom – around the equator of the star.

For a few moments nothing happened, and then beams of energy began to pulse between the three ships. Freya's blood turned cold.

She punched the com. 'Is that matter lens set up yet?'

'_Almost. Should be another minute_,' Birdie replied.

Freya took a deep breath and looked back to the ships around the sun.

The charge going between the ships had changed colour. Instead of being blue, as it had started out, it was now turning slightly white.

'_Done_,' Birdie reported over the com. '_We're ready to go if we have to_.'

'Good,' Freya said not taking her eyes off the ships. 'Thank you.'

'_I'm heading back now_.'

'OK.'

Suddenly, a beam of highly charged energy shot from every cannon on the Neitchzean ships. They struck the star and pierced the corona, straight into the core of it.

The surface of the star began to convulse, enormous eruptions burst from the surface, and the star began to turn blue.

Freya leant over and turned the engines on even though she knew it would bring the Neitchzeans down on them. But Freya was confidant of her piloting capabilities and knew that she could out-run them.

The star had now gone from blue to white, and Freya had to shield her eyes from the light.

Birdie entered the cockpit.

'What the –' she said looking at the sun through squinted eyes.

'Take stations!' Freya ordered as she jumped in the pilot seat. She had a pounding headache and just wanted to get out of there.

Birdie went to the co-pilots station and prepared to start the engines.

At this point the surface of the star seemed to have solidified and was breaking apart slowly.

'Neitchzean fighters approaching Starboard Bow!' Birdie reported.

The star had broken apart more now and the core was in full view. Remarkably it was still turning and as the core began to fade Freya's headache got worse.

She leaned forward and hit the slipstream drive. The ship lurched forwards and Freya's head felt as though it was going to burst.

But once they were in the slipstream she began to feel a little better.

That was until a beeping began.


End file.
